Prune-gatherer.



1. MEYER.

PRUNE GATHERER.

APPLICATION HLED AUG-9. I916.

1,25 1,080. Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

la-U 5. 4-'

5 ATT BN UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQYE.

JOSEPH MEYER, 013 LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA.

PRUNE-GATHERER.

Application filed August 9, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Los Gates, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Prune- Gratherers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to prune gatherers, and the object of my invention is to provide a prune gatherer which will gather the prunes as they fall and thereby obviate the necessity of picking them up off of the ground as is now done.

With this object in view my invention consists in the novel and useful provisions, formation, construction and relative arrangement of parts, members and features hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention in position ready for use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing connection of standards and frame, parts being broken away.

Fig. a is a detail view showing the method of attaching a belt to the fabric portion of my invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line B-B of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a tree trunk, the spread of its branches being indicated at C. At 2 is indicated a canvas or other suitable material supported on standards 3 and attached to trunk 1 in any suitable manner as, for instance, that hereinafter described. The upper ends of the standards 3 are provided with mortises 4. At 5 are shown a number of bars provided with tenons 6 adapted to loosely engage mortises 4 when the device is assembled. Canvas 2 is provided with loops 7 adapted to engage bars 5. At 8 are shown a number of slots prepared in canvas 2 through which is run belt 9 having buckle 9. At 10 is provided an orifice adjacent trunk 1 under which and resting on the ground is shown box 11. At 12 is indicated a button and button-hole method Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Serial No. 113,941.

of fastening together the two ends of canvas 2.

Then the device is made up as hereinbefore described it is placed in position by being spread loosely around trunk 1. Standards 3 are then stood up one by one and bars 5 fitted thereto as described. WVhen this is done belt 9 is drawn tightly around trunk l at the required distance from the ground and secured by buckle 9. The ends of the canvas are now buttoned together as described and a box placed under orifice 10. The device is now ready for use, the box 11, when full, being easily replaced with an empty one.

It is understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the specific method of construction here shown and described, as other methods may be followed within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim In a fruit gatherer, a flexible sheet having its perimeter in the form of an equilateral polygon, and having a central opening formed therein to permit the passage of a tree-trunk therethrough, an opening extending from said central opening to one of the vertices of said polygon and one or more discharge openings positioned adjacent said central opening, means for securing the edges of said first mentioned opening to said tree-trunk, and means for fastening together the edges of said second mentioned opening, each side of said polygonal sheet having its edge turned back and permanently secured to said sheet to form a single permanent loop, and a substantially rigid support for the perimeter of said sheet comprising a plurality of bars, each bar passing freely through one of said loops and having a tenon formed on each end thereof, and a plurality of supports, each of said supports having two mortises formed in one end thereof, each mortise being adapted to engage the tenon on the adjacent end of the bar positioned in the adjoining loop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature this 1st day of August, 1916.

JOSEPH MEYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

